


Nutella

by breadqueen95



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Light Angst, Marriage Proposal, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Nutella, One Shot, Self Confidence Issues, Self-Doubt, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-17
Updated: 2021-02-17
Packaged: 2021-03-12 12:08:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,163
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29509476
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/breadqueen95/pseuds/breadqueen95
Summary: Knowing his girlfriend would hate a traditional proposal, Sirius opts for something he knows his girlfriend will love.
Relationships: Sirius Black/Reader
Comments: 2
Kudos: 19





	Nutella

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted to @breadqueen95 on Tumblr
> 
> Warnings: strong language. mentions of familial abuse. customer service. verbal abuse. self doubt. proposal.

“James I can’t just ask with a ring THAT’S TOO SIMPLE AND SHE’LL HATE IT.”

“What the _fuck_ do you mean ‘too simple’?! There’s literally NOTHING SIMPLE ABOUT IT.”

“You only say that because you’re a SIMP.”

“YES BUT I SIMP FOR A GODDESS—”

“Oh my god if you two don’t shut the fuck up right now I will stupefy you both to hell.” Remus stood up from his perch on the couch, fully ready to throw hands. James and Sirius had been going out at for hours now and he was at his wits end. He had his wand pointed at the pair of them, and both their eyes were wide.

Sirius let out a nervous giggle and said, “C’mon, Moony. You’re about as threatening as a teapot.”

“Just try it Pads. Or did you forget I can shoot boiling water out of this wand?” Sirius held up his hands in defeat, sagging back into the living chair. James looked between his two best friends, and instantly began scream laughing. The absurdity of the situation as just too much. The tension diffused instantly as the other two men quickly joined in.

Sirius Black had a dilemma. He had been in a relationship with, in his opinion, the most astonishing woman in the world-nay, the UNIVERSE-for several years now. He and Y/n had met in school. They had one of those disgustingly cute Hogwarts romances that made everyone else gag, themselves included when they thought about it. But those hours by the Black Lake, pulling pranks on good old Minnie, snogging in the library stacks…they wouldn’t trade those days for the world.

Now, they were a couple of years out of school. They were growing into their adult lives together with ease. Y/n had always known they fit together seamlessly, and their easy adjustment to a post-Hogwarts world showed it. She was the proud owner of the only bookshop in Hogsmeade, catering to the needs of the Hogwarts community with a lust for knowledge (or a spicy muggle novel). Sirius worked from home, creating commissioned magical objects. Once more people had seen what the Marauders had done with the Marauders Map, they were keen to see what else he could do. Both of them shared a small cottage near the sea, preferring the quiet serenity of the waves to the hustle and bustle of London.

Which was odd, of course, considering their relationship was chaos personified.

“I just don’t get what’s so bad about proposing with the ring, Sirius,” James asked, “Isn’t that what all girls dream about?”

“Not Y/n,” Sirius muttered, rubbing his tired eyes, “We were watching a romantic comedy once, and when the guy got down on one knee to propose, she threw popcorn at the screen and booed.”

“Uh…what?” Remus asked, confusion lining his face.

“What did she say? Did she explain why?” James added.

“Yeah, she poked me in the nose and said if I ever asked her to marry me like that, she’d ‘have to refuse on principle’.”

“So…does she just not want to get married?”

“I asked her that, too. I told her I’d be with her no matter what we were, she was stuck with me for life no matter what she did. But she told me she wanted to be married more than anything. I guess she just…wants to do things her way.”

“But, if you’re the one proposing, isn’t it technically _your_ way?” Remus pointed out, ever the logical voice of the group.

“I mean yeah, but I want her to be happy,” Sirius groaned, “We’ve been together for nearly seven years now, I figure it’s about time. I don’t want to wait anymore and I know she doesn’t either. I just don’t know how to _ask—”_ A faint crack sounded from outside, and they all jumped at the sound. Not that they weren’t used to the sound of an apparating wizard, they just didn’t want to be caught in this conversation by a certain someone.

The someone who trudged through the door, looking like a herd of centaurs had run her down.

“UGH I FUCKING HATE CUSTOMER SERVICE.” You hollered, clomping into the cottage with loud feet. You threw your bag down unceremoniously next to the front door, making your way to the kitchen. Kicking your boots off as you went, they could all hear you yanking open cabinets and drawers with savagery.

“Uh, darling, are you alright?” Sirius nervously asked.

“Am I alright? AM I ALRIGHT? No I’m not bloody alright!” You shrieked from the kitchen. “People are so rude it just _floors me.”_ Remus and James looked at each other but had to quickly look away to keep themselves from bursting out in laughter. For someone who had chosen to open her own store, you had very little patience for customers with an attitude. Which was, of course, a far too common occurrence. Unfortunately for you, you were the essence of humor when you were pitching a fit about these things.

You stomped into the sitting room where the three of them were sitting, heavy frown and furrowed brow pulling down your features. In your hands were a huge jar of Nutella and a spoon. None of them blinked an eye as you plopped in Sirius’ lap, draping your legs across his and burrowing your face into his neck. He took the Nutella and spoon from your hands and set them on the coffee table, freeing up your arms to wrap around him as tightly as you could. He rubbed soothing circles on your back, pressing his lips to your hair.

“We’ll uh, we’ll just be going then,” James muttered awkwardly, pushing his glasses back up his nose as he gestured to Remus. You looked back up, a stricken look in your eyes.

“Damn, I’ve done it again haven’t I,” exhausted tears started to form in your eyes, “I didn’t mean to break up guy time.” You moaned and shoved your face back into Sirius’ shoulder. Not for a moment did he stop rubbing your back or feel the slightest amount of shock at your antics. He had seen it all before, and he loved you regardless.

Honestly, it was part of why he fell in love with you in the first place. You were loud, brash, dramatic, and totally unafraid to show it. Sirius was as captivated by you now as he was then, and this was all part of it. You were completely unafraid to just be unapologetically yourself, just like him. There weren’t two people more suited for each other, and anyone who saw the two of you together understood that.

“Don’t even worry about it for a SECOND my dear Y/n,” James shouted from the entryway where he was pulling on his shoes, “You work customer service, you get to feel and act however you want as soon as you get home.”

“He’s absolutely right,” Remus said comfortingly, giving you a quick pat on the head before he joined James.

“Let it out, Y/n! Scream into the abyss!” James cried as the sound of the front door opening sounded through the cottage.

“Yeah, what he said!” Remus called, then the door clicked shut behind them. They would’ve teased Sirius about his looming proposal, making very obvious jokes about it so that he was beyond mortified. But with you feeling like you were, you’d read into it and end up figuring it out or feeling like they were making fun of you. Remus and James adored you like you were their little sister, and they would never go out of their way to make you feel anything but happy.

As quiet filled the house, Sirius continued to hold you. For you, there was nowhere that made you feel as loved and cared for as your boyfriend’s arms. It certainly helped that he was as affectionate as you, so your hands were on each other in some way pretty much always.

After kissing your temple, he murmured, “So, are you going to tell me what happened today?”

You sighed, then muttered into his skin, “I got yelled at.”

“Who on earth could yell at you? You’re the owner of the store, for Godric’s sake.”

“An angry bitch lady customer.” You leaned back, darkness raging in your eyes as you mumbled, “She was pissed that I was completely out of stock of the new Game of Thrones book, so she went off on me in the middle of the shop.”

“Is that the one it took George R.R. Martin ten years to write?”

“The very same. She called me a ‘poor excuse for a witch’ because I hadn’t simply duplicated more. I mean, come on! If I did that my contacts in the muggle industry would never do business with me again!” You groaned dramatically again, then reached for your jar of Nutella. Sirius knew it must have affected you, because you only went for Nutella with a spoon if you were genuinely upset. He played with your hair as you started digging into your favorite chocolate spread, spooning glob after glob into your mouth. He couldn’t help but smile softly at you.

After a few minutes of silence, you asked, “Sirius, I’m a good witch right?”

“What?”

“I just…of all the things I could’ve done, out of all the things my professors at school hyped me up to be, I feel like I’ve let everyone down.” You stuck your spoon into the jar, letting it hang out there as you stared at it. You weren’t really seeing it, just thinking hard. “Everyone, even my own parents, shit on me for choosing this path. Am I just wasting my life away?” Sirius took the jar from you once again, noticing how your hands were clenching tightly around the plastic. He took your hands in his, and you watched as he gently rubbing the tension out of your fingers.

“Y/n, you’re one of the most talented and capable witches I know,” he murmured, “It wouldn’t matter what you did with your life, I would always think that about you. But here’s the most important question: are you happy?” Narrowing your eyes in contemplation, you looked out the window at the sea. The rolling repetitive nature of the waves helped you think. Understanding this about you, Sirius just kept massaging your hands, letting you think through it.

“I…I think so.”

“You think so? Or you know so?”

“It’s more complicated than that—” You began, but Sirius cut you off.

“It’s really not, my love. Get rid of everyone’s expectations for a moment. Forget about what our professors said, forget what your parents say, forget what society says. Are you happy?”

After a moment, you looked at Sirius and said, “I am. I used to want a life of daring adventures, but I really love my quiet, simple life. I love that I spend my days surrounded by stories, I love helping a student find their next terrific read, I love helping my former mentors find their next great source of knowledge.” You paused, letting a soft smile pull at your mouth as you looked into the face of the love of your life. “I love that I share my life with you, most of all. You make me happy, every second of every day.”

Sirius had to stop himself from asking you to marry him right then and there. After such a trying day at work, with you feeling as emotional and tired as you were, it wouldn’t be fair to add on to that.

So he only returned your smile, saying, “I love our life, my darling girl. I wouldn’t change it, change _you,_ for the world.” He kissed you then, soft, and sweet, letting his lips linger. After you pulled away, he added, “Why don’t you go take a nice bath, and we can watch some TV tonight? We still need to catch up on the second season of _The Mandalorian.”_

“That sounds perfect, I need some time with my favorite single space dad,” you said with a smile, clambering off of Sirius’ lap and padding into the bathroom. As the sound of running water sounded, Sirius got up with a smile, stretching after sitting for so long. He picked up the Nutella and the spoon, making his way to the kitchen. As he screwed the top back on the jar, he contemplated it for a moment. Suddenly, inspiration struck.

He knew exactly how he was going to propose.

* * *

A week later, Sirius was pacing in the sitting room. He was wearing nothing out of the ordinary, going for a simple black tee shirt and jeans. He didn’t have an elaborate romantic set up. He only opened the blinds wide, allowing the warmth of the setting sun fill the room with life and color. The sparkling sea was stretched beyond. And there, the centerpiece of his piece de resistance, was the jar of Nutella.

He couldn’t help but let a giddy smile out, shaking his hands to get out the nervous energy. Y/n would adore it.

Then, front door opened and the sound of your steps echoed throughout the house. Sirius took a deep breath, stepping in front of the table so you wouldn’t see the Nutella right away. You had to say yes, you just _had_ to.

“Hi, baby!” Your happy voice called, “Work was nice and quiet today, and I got another shipment of the new Game of Thrones book. I had a few surprised but very delighted customers—” Your voice fell as you made your way into the room, noticing Sirius standing rather expectantly right in the center.

“…What did you break?” You asked nervously.

“Why is it that you always assume I’ve done something?”

“I don’t _always_ assume anything, but right now you look like you’re up to something, so out with it.” Putting your hands on your hips, you waited for him to let you in on whatever it was he had going on.

Instead, Sirius just kept smiling. He stepped forward and took your hands gingerly in his. Looking at you like you hung the stars in the sky, he took a deep breath.

“Y/n, I was pretty lost for a long time. After growing up the way I did, I didn’t really know what love was. I ended up finding it at school. I found it in you.”

Oh god. It was happening. You felt the emotion building inside of you, and you felt tears gathering. Sirius brushed your hair back, and said, “Love, you can’t start crying yet or you’re going to make me cry.”

“I know, I just…it’s happening and I’m so fucking happy and I—”

“Baby I haven’t even finished yet—”

“Okay then keep going so I can kiss the shit out of you.” Sirius let out a shaky laugh, and indeed felt his own tears beginning to spill over.

“Before you, I didn’t think I was worthy of love. Who could love me? A kid with an anger problem, a kid who was beyond damaged, a kid who hid everything behind a mask. But _you…_ my darling girl, you see me. You see past all my bullshit, and you still choose me anyway. You bring out the best and most joyous parts of me, and you love the parts that I wish I could forget. You…you funny, sweet, unruly, beautiful soul…you chose me.” Tears were streaming down both of your faces now.

“And now, I’m going to make you bust out laughing, because I know how much you love laughing. I want you to know that I choose you for exactly as you are for the rest of our lives.” With that, Sirius reached behind him and grabbed the jar of Nutella. The absolute incredulity of what he was holding made you start sputtering with giggles.

“Y/n shut it I’m not done yet!”

“I’m sorry, but are you actually proposing with a _jar of Nutella right now— “_

“Well I was until you ruined my moment!”

Stifling your laughter, you tried to put on a serious face and diligently waited for him to finish the single best thing he had ever done. Seriously, he couldn’t have proposed in a better way.

“Thank you, now,” he held up the spread, “I love you more than you love Nutella, which is quite a lot. I could even say you make my heart NUTella.” You couldn’t contain it anymore, absolutely screeching with laughter as Sirius got down on one knee and pulled a spoon from his back pocket.

“Y/n y/l/n, the absolute love of my life, the greatest person I know, will you make my heart nut for the rest of my life?”

“YES! Oh my god, YES!” You threw yourself onto your fiancé, bowling him over onto the carpet. You pressed your lips to his in a searing kiss, trying to pour every ounce of devotion and passion you held for him into it. You had always known Sirius Black was your soulmate, but this? Proposing with a jar of fucking Nutella? Actually uttering the phrase ‘you’ve made my heart NUTella’? There was no contest. He would hold your heart for the rest of time.

After a vigorous make out session on the floor of your cottage, the golden rays of sun bathing you both in ethereal light, you pulled away and sat up. He followed, a shit eating grin on his handsome face.

“So? Was that you idea of what a proposal should be?”

“Sirius, that was _everything_ a proposal should be.”

“Ha! I knew it, James will be so mad he was wrong.”

“What do you mean?

“He tried to convince me that a traditional proposal was the way to go, but I assured him that this was the way to go. I know my girl.” You grinned at him, pulling him in for another soft kiss.

“I love you,” you murmured, resting your forehead against his, “And yes, I will make your heart nut for the rest of our lives.” He snorted at that, and you joined in. After all, a couple that can lose their shit together? That’s a couple that lasts.

You reached for the Nutella that had fallen out of Sirius’ hands, then grabbed the spoon that lay next to it. Unscrewing the lid, you dug the spoon in for a big dollop.

“Really? I’m sitting in front of you, right after professing my love, uttering the stupidest phrase of all time, and still you’re going for the Nutella.” Smiling at him, you held up the spoon.

“Not for me, my love. This first one’s for you.”

“I get the first spoon of Nutella?”

“You do, because you know me better than anyone ever will and love me better than anyone could. No open your stupidly beautiful mouth and take the fucking Nutella.”

**Author's Note:**

> am I ashamed of that phrase? nope. not in the slightest.


End file.
